Intravenous Iron for Perioperative Anaemia in Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Nested Cohort Analysis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hematology
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a frequent comorbidity in colorectal cancer patients undergoing surgery.
• Perioperative IDA is linked to increased post-operative mortality and morbidity.
• The clinical impact of actively managing preoperative anaemia with intravenous (IV) iron remains uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of preoperative IV iron treatment on clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer patients.
• To assess the impact of anaemia management on length of hospital stay and transfusion rates.

Main Methods:

• A single-centre nested cohort study analyzed prospectively collected data.
• Cox proportional hazard models and logistic regression were used to analyze length of stay and transfusion rates.
• Models were adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, and surgical factors.

Main Results:

• Patients with untreated anaemia had a longer length of stay compared to non-anaemic patients.
• Preoperative IV iron treatment in anaemic patients resulted in a shorter length of stay compared to untreated anaemic patients.
• Untreated anaemic patients exhibited higher transfusion rates than both treated anaemic and non-anaemic patients.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative treatment of iron deficiency anaemia with IV iron appears to reduce length of stay in colorectal cancer patients.
• IV iron administration pre-surgery is associated with decreased transfusion rates.
• Active anaemia management pre-operatively may improve surgical outcomes for colorectal cancer patients.